Industrial oven wall construction



Feb. 14, 1967 J. JANECEK 3,303,519

INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LOU/6 J. JANA- 6K EB BY M M W J warn/{fa ATTORNEYS Feb. 14, 1967 J. JANECEK 3,303,619

INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LOU/S I Jfi/VfCt'K United States Patent 3,303,619 INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL CONSTRUCTION Louis J. Janecek, Detroit, Mich., assiguor to The R. C. Mahon Company, Warren, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 246,623 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-303) This invention relates to industrial oven wall construe tion and particularly to such a construction and the method and apparatus for producing the same.

In the manufacture of industrial ovens, a major problem is the permeation of vapor through the oven wall.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved oven wall construction which is vapor impermeable.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel oven wall construction which is relatively inexpensive utilizing prefabricated sheet metal panels.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel oven wall construction using such panels wherein the vapor impervious joint is provided on the job during erection of the oven wall.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of providing a vapor impervious joint in an oven wall construction.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel apparatus for providing a vapor impervious joint in oven walls.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel vapor impervious joint.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of providing a vapor impervious joint.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel apparatus for providing a vapor impervious joint.

Basically, the invention comprises utilizing prefabricated sheet metal panels which have a flange along one side edge thereof and a reversely bent portion along the other side edge thereof which interengages the flange of the adjacent panel. In the novel oven wall construction, an inner wall is produced with such interengaging panels with the joint extending outwardly. The interengaging joints of the inner wall are then longitudinally crimped between rollers which are caused to travel along the length thereof on the wall and thereby provide the vapor impervious joint. The crimping is achieved by a novel apparatus which engages the joint and travels along the joint to crimp the joint. Insulating material is then provided along the outer surface of the inner wall and an outer wall of similar interengaging panels is erected.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view through a corner of an industrial oven embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the interengaging panels that are used.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the vapor impervious joint formed in the oven wall in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of an apparatus taken along the line 44 in FIG. 5 for providing the vapor impervious joint showing the apparatus in operative position.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, the oven embodies an oven wall construction which includes an inner wall 11, an outer wall 12 and insulating material 13 interposed between and outer walls 11, 12.

The inner and outer walls 11, 12 are formed of identical interengaging sheet metal panels 14 each of which includes a central portion 15 which is generally flat and of uniform width throughout, a flange 16 bent at a right angle from the plane of the portion 15 along one longitudinal side edge of the panel 14 and a reversely bent portion 17 bent in the same direction as the flange 16 along the other longitudinal side edge of the portion 14. The reversely bent portion 17 includes an outwardly extending flange 18 and a spaced inwardly extending flange 19 defining a space 20 into which the flange 16 of the adjacent panel extends (FIG. 2).

In assembling the oven wall, the inner wall 11 is first erected with the portions of the joint interengaging, as shown in FIG. 2, the insulating material 13 is then applied to the outer surface of the inner Wall 11 and the outer wall 12 is then erected in position. It should be understood that braces are provided along the wall as may be required. This is shown, for example, at 21, 22, in FIG. 1.

Before the insulation 13 is applied and the outer wall 12 is erected, the joints of the inner wall as defined by the interengaging flange 16 and reversely bent portions 17 are continuously longitudinally crimped intermediate their edges as at 23 (FIG. 3). This cold Works the material and provides a vapor impervious joint. The crimping is achieved by the use of crimping rolls which have complementary surfaces in order to deform the material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus 25 for performing the crimping action in situ on the oven wall comprises complementary rolls 26, 27. Roll 26 includes an annular bead 27a and roll 27 includes a complementary groove 28. The rolls 26, 27 are driven in opposite directions and thereby cause the apparatus 25 to travel along the joint and crimp the joint.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, apparatus 25 comprises a hollow frame 29. A shaft 30 is journalled in the frame 29 and roll 26 is fixed 0n the lower end thereof. A shaft 31 is also mounted in the frame 29. As shown, the shaft 31 is journalled in an upper journal 32 and a lower journal 33. The upper journal 32 is, in turn, held in position by adjustable screws 34, 35 which engage conical depressions 36, 37 in the journal 32 to pivot shaft 31 in the frame.

The shafts 30, 31 are driven from an electric motor 38. The shaft 39 of the electric motor is connected to an intermediate shaft 40 through sprockets 41, 42 and a chain 43. The intermediate shaft 40 is coupled to the shaft 31 by a gear 44 on the intermediate shaft 40 which meshes with a gear 46 on the shaft 31. Gear 46 on the shaft, 31, in turn, meshes with a gear 45 on the shaft 30.

In order to guide the movement of the apparatus 25 along the joint, guide rollers 47 are mounted on brackets 48 fixed on the ends of the frame 29. The guide rollers are provided with grooves 47' which engage the peak or crest of the joint and guide the apparatus along the joint. Each bracket 48 is provided with a slot 48a through which a screw 49 extends into frame 29 so that each roller is vertically adjustable. The brackets are preferably adjusted such that the angle of the axes of the shafts 30, 31 are inclined such that the rolls 26, 27 tend to travel inwardly toward the plane of the oven wall. This assists the apparatus in retaining the grip on the joint when it is used on a vertical as contrasted to a horizontal wall of the oven.

The apparatus is also preferably provided with a handle 50 which facilitates the placing of the apparatus into and out of position.

A spring loaded pressure screw assembly 51 is threaded into frame 29 and engages the lower journal 33 of shaft 31 to yieldingly urge the roll 27 against roll 26. As shown in FIG. 4, screw assembly 51 comprises a housing 52 having a portion 53 threaded into frame 29. A pressure member 54 is mounted within portion 53 and has a collar 55 thereon. A spring 56 is compressed between collar 55 and housing 52. By this arrangement, if rollers 26, 27 encounter any discontinuity along flange 16 and 3 portion 17, the rollers will pass over without breakage or bending of the apparatus.

When it is desired to use the apparatus 25, it is brought into position and then the threaded shaft 31 is rotated to bring the roll 27 inwardly toward the roll 26. As previously pointed out, the guide rollers are adjusted relative to the frame 29 preferably such that the planes of the rolls 26, 27 extend downwardly toward the plane of the 'oven wall slightly in the direction of movement of the apparatus so that the rolls 26, 27, in effect, tend to dig in.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a novel oven wall construction, a novel method and apparatus for making the oven wall construction.

It can be appreciated that although the invention has particular utility when applied to an oven wall, it is also used in other wall constructions. It is believed that a novel feature of the invention is the provision of a wall by the use of pre-fabricated sheet metal panels and the making of the. impervious joint in situ after the wall is erected.

I claim:

1. In an industrial oven wall, the combination comprising an inner wall,

an outer wall spaced from the inner wall,

an insulating material interposed between the inner and outer wall,

each said wall comprising prefabricated panels of sheet metal including a central portion having longitudinal side edges,

a longitudinally extending flange bent from and extending along one side edge of the central portion,

and a reversely bent portion bent from and extending along the other side edge of the central portion into which the flange of the adjacent panel extends to define a joint,

the interengaging joints of the inner wall having a continuous uninterrupted longitudinal crimp intermediate the bend and the free longitudinal edge of the joint which is formed by continuously longitudinally crimping in place after the outer wall is assembled to cold work the interengaging flange and reversely bent portions and thereby provide a vapor impervious seal at the joints of the inner wall,

said joints of the outer wall being uncrimped to permit vapor to pass therethrough.

2. In a wall, the combination comprising an inner wall,

an outer Wall spaced from the inner wall,

an insulating material interposed between the inner and outer wall,

each said Wall comprising prefabricated panels of sheet metal including a central portion having longitudinal side edges,

a longitudinally extending flange bent from and extending along one side edge of the central portion,

and a reversely bent portion bent from and extending along the other side edge of the central portion into which the flange of the adjacent panel extends to define a joint,

each said joint extending outwardly in the same direction, the interengaging joints of the inner wall having a continuous uninterrupted longitudinal cn'mp intermediate the bend and the free longitudinal edge of the joint which is formed by continuously longitudinally crimping in place after the inner Wall is assembled to cold work the interengaging flange and reversely bent portions and thereby provide a vapor impervious seal at the joint of the inner wall,

said joints of the outer wall being uncrimped to permit vapor to penetrate therethrough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,469 8/1883 Mosler 29155 892,469 7/ 1908 Vandevort 29155 1,486,528 3/1924 Lawrence 52--285 1,570,720 1/1926 Baker 52405 1,697,189 1/1929 Kirk 52278 1,758,699 5/1930 Hazeltine 15354 2,181,074 11/1939 Scott 52404 2,234,517 3/1941 Coflman 161113 2,240,487 5/1941 Benham 52619 3,052,278 9/1962 Baluck et a1. 153-54 3,062,337 11/1962 Zittle 52404 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, RICHARD W. COOKE,

JR., Examiners.

J. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN INDUSTRIAL OVEN WALL, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN INNER WALL, AN OUTER WALL SPACED FROM THE INNER WALL, AN INSULATING MATERIAL INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER WALL, EACH SAID WALL COMPRISING PREFABRICATED PANELS OF SHEET METAL INCLUDING A CENTRAL PORTION HAVING LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGES, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLANGE BENT FROM AND EXTENDING ALONG ONE SIDE EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, AND A REVERSELY BENT PORTION BENT FROM AND EXTENDING ALONG THE OTHER SIDE EDGE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION INTO WHICH THE FLANGE OF THE ADJACENT PANEL EXTENDS TO DEFINE A JOINT, THE INTERENGAGING JOINTS OF THE INNER WALL HAVING A CONTINUOUS UNINTERRUPTED LONGITUDINAL CRIMP INTERMEDIATE THE BEND AND THE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE JOINT WHICH IS FORMED BY CONTINUOUSLY LONGITUDINALLY CRIMPING IN PLACE AFTER THE OUTER WALL IS ASSEMBLED TO COLD WORK THE INTERENGAGING FLANGE AND REVERSELY BENT PORTIONS AND THEREBY PROVIDE A VAPOR IMPERVIOUS SEAL AT THE JOINTS OF THE INNER WALL, SAID JOINTS OF THE OUTER WALL BEING UNCRIMPED TO PERMIT VAPOR TO PASS THERETHROUGH. 